Part of your world
by Cassie Studios
Summary: Princess Orihime seems to have strange visions lately... The king calls his best man to take care of this. But just what is the mystery behind the "ghosts"? IchiRuki however I still do love Orihime .
1. Your guardian angel

**A/N:** Yes, I know. I know I have an ongoing story of FMA and that I've been completing my Naruto one for a year. But really, I think this idea might be interesting. Besides, it's high time for a Bleach fanfic. So please enjoy the first chapter. The idea came to me in summer last year but I haven't plucked up the courage to upload it (I know I'll suck at updates). Anyhow, I may find some time to get on with the story if you encourage me to ;)

* * *

**Chapter One: Your guardian angel**

In the middle of the night, tap, tap, softly on the windowsill.

"Aaah!" A loud feminine scream.

"What are you afraid of? I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Who are you?! A ghost?!"

"No…kind of. But…hey, don't run away! Stay, please!"

"What do you want with me?!"

"Don't get frightened…"

"Don't come close!"

…

"…have you calmed down?"

"…a bit."

"See? I'm not scary. Come here."

"No."

"Come, please."

"…who are you?"

"There. Me? I'm Rukia. Nice to meet you."

"H…hi."

"Can I get down from the windowsill?"

"Oh…yeah…yes. Co…come inside."

"No need to be so apprehensive. I mean no harm to you. Really."

"Really…?"

"Yeah, really." Smile.

_I just need your help.

* * *

_

An orange-haired guy paced through the castle corridors, heading to the king's chamber. He had a dark shirt, mahogany brown pants, ebony high boots and a dark beige travel cloak. The peacock feather on his hat was swinging rapidly as he walked, concording with the moves of his sword hanged over his shoulder.

He stopped in front of the two-winged door and having been announced by a chamberlain, he entered the audience chamber. The king raised his eyes to look at him.

"Ah, Kurosaki Ichigo. Please, come in."

"Your Highness," the peacock feather swept the floor when its owner bowed low.

"Please, come closer."

Rap, rap, the high boots on the marble floor.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Kurosaki-kun."

"Anything you wish, Your Highness."

"This is about my daughter. She…she needs protection."

"Is Orihime-sama in danger?" the orange-haired man seemed troubled.

"We don't know that for sure, but everything suggests that, indeed, yes."

"What is the matter, Your Highness?"

"My daughter…Orihime…seems to see strange things lately."

"Strange things? What do you mean, Your Highness?"

The king sighed heavily and clasped his hands. "She claims to have seen ghosts."

"Ghosts?" Kurosaki was shocked. "How is that possible, Your Highness?"

"Apparently she's gifted, just like you."

"Has she received any harm from the phantoms she has seen, You Highness?"

"Not yet. However, it is of greatest importance that she is protected. We don't know when the…the things she sees become dangerous and attack her. Thus, Kurosaki-kun, I need you to guard her and provide her safety from now on."

Ichigo dropped his gaze to the floor and bowed his head slightly. "As you wish, Your Highness. I shall fulfill my duty as Orihime-sama's guardian as of now."

The king's eyes softened. "I trust you, Kurosaki-kun, just like I trusted your father."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I assure you that you won't be disappointed."

"Also, I would like you to investigate the case. Is seems unusual to me that my daughter only now began showing signs of spiritual awareness. She's almost seventeen, and for all those former years there has occurred nothing to suggest such abilities of hers."

"Of course, Your Highness."

"There has already been a special department formed for that purpose only. Please consult the head of it, Ishida Uryuu, for further information."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I shall follow your words."

Just as Ichigo was to leave the chamber, the king added:

"I'm counting on you, Kurosaki-kun. Please help my daughter return to normal life."

Once more the feather brushed the marble. "I shall do my best, Your Highness."

When he finally left, the king sighed and sank into his throne. He felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun, for ladening you with this job," he whispered to himself. "Memorializing your father and mother, I truly wish there were anyone other to do this. Tough luck is that you're just the best and only one…"

* * *

Ichigo knocked on the door. Having heard "enter," he obeyed.

The room was dark, as it had no windows applied. The light provided by the light bulbs didn't seem to suffice for the daylight. The semi-darkness made it hard to see anything until his eyes accustomed to it.

A man dressed in a white apron approached him and bowed his head lightly.

"Kurosaki-san. Welcome."

"Ishida-san. The king adviced me to come to you."

"I know. I hear you are now taking care of the princess' well-being. You probably want to know more about the strange phenomenon troubling her, am I right?"

"How much do you know?" Ichigo slowly followed him to a rectangular board with some notes attached to it. He took a closer look and realized those were dates with some descriptions.

"All the cases of Orihime-sama seeing ghosts," he muttered under his breath. "Impressive, Ishida-san."

"Thank you. We need to monitor the princess all times. Every incident gets cataloged, then it gets place on this board. For any reference, please use this one."

"Of course. What else?"

Ishida glanced at him attentively. "Kurosaki-san, do you know about the alternative world?"

Ichigo eyed him and answered seriously: "I do."

"About everything?"

"I believe I know enough. Otherwise the king wouldn't entrust me with this job."

"Of course. But do you know about different dimensions and portals leading from one to another? About moving between the worlds and the attraction the ghosts feel towards a gifted person?"

"Yes, I do."

Ishida gazed at him and slowly nodded. "I see. There's no need for me to introduce you to the matter then. That'll save us some time."

He then led Ichigo to a strangely looking machine. It was shaped like a ring standing on its jewel. The hoop glowed oddly in white and blue.

"What is this?"

"It's a machine designated to investigate the other world and neighbouring dimensions. We believe it is possible to change the portal so that it would direct the ghosts to different destination than Orihime-sama's place."

"Does it work already?"

"Unfortunately not. To make it work is a complex process and we're still in the middle of it. But don't worry, Kurosaki-san, it should be ready soon."

"Do you want me to cooperate with you anyhow?" Ichigo looked at him with a blank expression.

"No, I see no need to do so," Ishida adjusted his glasses. "We're on our way to succeed. Your task is solely to protect the princess while we are still working."

"I've been told to investigate the case as well."

"There is nothing to investigate. The princess is gifted and attracts ghosts. We just need to get rid of them."

"What about such a late display of her abilities? What about ghosts that have never appeared here before?"

"Kurosaki-san," Ishida sighed impatiently. "This happens."

"What do you mean 'this happens'?"

"There have always been cases of seeing ghosts for the first time even among old people. There is nothing out of ordinary. Just do your job and make sure Orihime-sama doesn't get hurt."

With this he left Ichigo. Kurosaki pursed his lips.

* * *

Knock, knock.

Orihime jumped on her bed, surprised by the sound. She calmed herself down and straightened her dress.

"It's me, Kurosaki Ichigo," she heard from the outside.

"Oh!" she quickly tucked a stray hair behind her ear, unaware of doing so. "Please enter!"

Ichigo opened the door, but did not move over the threshold. "Do I not disturb you, Orihime-sama?"

"No!" she shook her head energetically. "Of course not, please come in, Kurosaki-san."

He did so and placed himself on the bed, but not too close to the princess. "I came to announce to you that from now on I will be your guardian."

She dropped her gaze and started fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. "Yes, my father told me about that."

"Is something wrong, Orihime-sama? Are you uncomfortable with it? Do you want me to quit?"

"No, obviously not, Kurosaki-san! I just…it will cause you much trouble," she gazed into his eyes. "I don't want to make you be my babysitter. You certainly have other duties, and being my guardian would chain you to my chamber for all day."

Ichigo sighed. "Is that what you are worrying about, princess?"

She seemed to get smaller suddenly. "Um…well…you probably think I'm stupid…"

"No, of course not," he assured her sincerely. "That's just like you, Orihime-sama."

The princess looked up at him and saw his smile. They both laughed quietly.

"If you don't want me around, just say it," he teased.

"That's not it!"

"I know, I know. You haven't changed a bit since you were little, Orihime-sama."

"Are you saying I'm still a child?" she pretended to be offended.

"No," he looked at the ceiling, whistling under his breath.

"Hey!"

She observed him for a while. "Kurosaki-san… I'm glad my father chose you. If I am to have a guardian, you're the only one I can accept contentedly."

"I'm glad to hear that. That's what I came here for," he smiled once more. "Now would you excuse me, I need to pay one more visit."

"Yes, of course," she nodded as she stood up.

"See you tommorow, Orihime-sama. Try not to get attacked over the night."

"Kurosaki-san!"

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry." He looked at her over his shoulder. "If you are in danger tonight, you know I'll come."

"I know," she smiled softly. "Thank you."

"After all, this is what I get my money for."

"Hey!"

He flashed her a smile once more and finally left. Orihime stared at the door and sighed. Her sad gaze dropped to the ground.

"Well," she said in a tone supposed to be cheerful, "at least I get some time to spend with him." She looked through the window. "So, maybe…"

* * *

The cemetery was quiet and peaceful. Ichigo slalomed between the graves until he reached a beautiful gray gravestone. There were two photographs attached to it: a raven-haired man and a pretty woman with chestnut brown hair. The sun was already setting, so the photos were shining in its last rays. Ichigo kneeled on one knee and bowed his head, holding his peacock feathered hat in his hand.

"Mom, dad."

Under the photos there were names: Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki. Died tragically.

"The king assigned me a new task. I am to protect Orihime-sama from the ghosts that she has begun to see. In your place, father, I shall guard the king's daughter. Please watch over the two of us."

He looked at their faces, embedded in the gravestone.

"I'll do my best, dad. You taught me how to fight ghosts, so now I can fulfill my duty to serve the king. His Highness praised me by saying that I'm the best one for the job. It's all thanks to you, dad. I won't disappoint you. You will be proud of me, you'll see."

His features then became stern as he added quietly:

"And maybe I'll finally be able to discover the truth."

* * *

**A/N:** As they say, R&R please!


	2. A curious stranger

**A/N: **Ok, this is the next chapter. Hope you like it as well ;)

Oh, and I think I forgot: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

* * *

**Chapter Two: A curious stranger**

The room was quite ordinary. A sofa, a coffee table, a desk, some pictures, a colorful coverlet on the bed. A typical place where a girl could live. The said girl placed herself on the windowsill. She had big, navy blue eyes and black hair. Her hands held a circular mirror, in which there was reflected a cheerful face of an orange-haired girl.

"Princess Orihime…" whispered the girl on the windowsill.

She stared curiously at the face in the mirror. The princess was quite a funny thing. The way she looked at her for the first time…so scared. But Rukia didn't want to scare her, she just wanted to talk. To make friends with her.

Rukia slid down from the sill and using a key, she opened a drawer of her desk. It was full of stuff: a camera, a pair of chopsticks, a white, beaded glove, some heart-shaped candy, a jump rope, a pencil with a rabbit-shaped rubber on top and a thick, padlocked notebook. Her dearest collection.

Her treasures from the living world.

Rukia took out the jump rope. She remembered when she obtained it. It was her first visit in the other world…well, the first after her death. It had been over one hundred years since she died. She missed the living world, so she simply made a trip there. She encountered some kids playing on a playground. The boys were throwing balls and the girls were chatting or playing hopscotch. Two girls were jumping with jump ropes. Rukia walked up to them. She was absolutely positive they couldn't see her, but then one girl called out to her. It was fun, because other children couldn't see her and they were plain confused. But then they accused the girl of lying. When she ran off crying, Rukia scooped a ball and hit the very nose of the most mean boy, and then followed her. The girl was sobbing and tears were streaming down her cheeks. Rukia hugged her and comforted her until she calmed down. They talked friendly for some time and when they parted, Rukia was handed the jump rope as a sign of gratitude. She was surprised, but accepted it nonetheless. When she returned to her room, she put the rope into her desk drawer, which from that moment became her repository.

Well of course, Rukia tried to use the rope several times, but it was either too short for her or she simply sucked at it.

"That girl is a grown woman now…I wonder if she already has grandchildren?"

Most of the time, Rukia would just gaze into her magic mirror, which reflected the living world. It was her favorite pastime. But sometimes, just sometimes, she couldn't resist the urge to meet those people, to watch them at close quarters. One day she visited the princess. Orihime didn't see her, it's been a while before she noticed her presence around. Rukia realized the talent Orihime was blessed with and decided to make friends with her. Besides, there was one favor Rukia wanted to ask of her.

"She's a nice girl," Rukia whispered to herself. Slowly, she placed the jump rope into the drawer and closed it carefully. If anyone discovered that…

The mirror once more showed her Orihime's face.

"Time to pay a visit!" said Rukia happily, stepping onto the windowsill again. Then she heard someone knock on her door.

"Rukia! It's me! Can I come in?"

"Shit, it's Renji!" she muttered under her breath. "If he catches me…"

Fortunately, the door was locked. She always locked it when she was going to the living world.

"Rukia! Open the door! I know you're there!"

Rukia glanced at the door over her shoulder and waved it goodbye. Then with a sly smile she jumped into the darkness. A few seconds later she was no longer there.

* * *

Emerging out of the thin air, Rukia glanced right and left. No one was there, so she comfortably headed toward the princess' chamber. Soon she landed her foot on the windowsill. Nuzzling softly against the wall, she checked if the princess was in. It turned out that indeed, she was, but she also had a guest.

Rukia stared at the orange-haired man, sitting beside Orihime on her bed. She made no move, but sat and simply watched instead.

"Seems like he simply doesn't like me," stated Ichigo casually. He didn't seem to care much.

"No, why wouldn't he? I just think that he's jealous, because you've…like…taken his position. I mean, he was in charge so far, and now you came and my father assigned you as my guardian. Ishida-san must've taken it hard. Please don't blame him."

"Ok, I won't. Besides, it might've been just my imagination. And what about you? Anything new? Some monsters from under the bed?"

She laughed at his joke. "No, Kurosaki-san, there hasn't been anything bothering me lately."

"That's good."

"Um, Kurosaki-san…" Orihime bushed a little. "You always come and ask me about your business matters. Why don't you visit me more often? We're friends, after all. Since you've been away for so long, I missed you much. Now that you're back, I kind of want to make up for the lost time. What do you think?" she added shyly.

Ichigo looked surprised, but he smiled at her and answered: "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

"I'll have the cook make some biscuits for us next time," she beamed.

"Sounds great."

"Looks like there's no chance of talking to Orihime today," Rukia muttered to herself outside the closed window. Still, she kept watching the two inside, talking freely about some stuff. Her eyes ever so often landed on Ichigo, without hersef even realizing it. Finally she shook her head and giving the room one last glance, she turned back. Nothing to achieve today, it seemed.

* * *

"Your Highness."

"Oh, Ishida-san. Have you discovered something?"

Ishida blushed a bit. "Well, no…but I need to talk to you, Your Higness."

The king appeared worried. "What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.

"It's about Kurosaki Ichigo. I seriously doubt that he could be able to perform his task."

"What?" the king was unable to hide his astonishment. "He's a _perfect_ man for the task!"

"Maybe, but since he seems not to know his jurisdictions, he poses a threat to my research."

"Have you two had a row?"

"No, Your Highness. I'm just saying that Kurosaki-san is interfering with my job."

"How is that?"

"He claims that you, Your Highness, ordered him to investigate the case. But with all due respect, I believe it is my job. Kurosaki-san can't possibly discover anything, not being a scientist and not even possessing any scientific aids."

"Well, Ishida-san," the king took a deep breath, "I did order him to do some research. I don't see how that should bother you."

Ishida frowned, but did not dare to vent his anger out on the king. "It humiliates me and makes my research diminish in importance."

"But of course not! We still need your investigation. However, I need the case to get closed quickly, and if there's even a slightest chance of Kurosaki-kun discovering anything, I won't hesitate to give him a free hand to do so. Is that clear, Ishida-san?"

Ishida pursed his lips, but bowed politely. "Yes, Your Higness. I apologize for disturbing you."

* * *

Ichigo was sitting in his room in front of a table. There were some papers scatterred all over the top of it. Pictures, documents, research papers…

"There _must_ be something in it…" he muttered to himself, his hand wandering through the notes. "The case has never been cleared…"

He took one of the pictures. Two dead bodies, the bodies of his parents. This picture was taken right after they were found dead in their house. The witnesses claimed to have seen a mysterious monster, some other of them saw black substance emerging from the thin air. Nothing specific, nothing concrete. But he knew that one day he was going to pick up all the pieces and make them fit together. One day he would know who or what exactly killed his parents.

"If Orihime sees ghosts… Maybe it has something to do with it or at least…it might unveil something… If I only knew a little bit more… If it was a ghost just like the ones we fought with dad, then why the hell did it attack my parents and why wasn't dad able to stop it? He was such a good fighter…"

Those were the questions that kept spinning in his head for all those years that passed since his parents died…were _killed_. He had asked them thousands times, but never found any answer.

Needless to say, he wasn't going to pay any attention to that Ishida guy. The king told him to investigate, and moreover, he wanted to investigate the case himself, so why would he care about a funny geek with glasses?

"So once more… Let's see…"

* * *

"And…here we go."

Rukia cautiously placed her foot on the windowsill, caught her balance and stepped down into her room. She straightened her clothes.

"I caught you!"

She jumped in surprise and looked around. On her bed, exactly in the middle, there was a lion mascot, sitting with its legs and arms crossed.

"Kon!" Rukia reproached him. "You scared me!"

"Doesn't matter! You've been to the living world again!"

"It's none of your bussiness."

"It is! You know it's against the rules."

"I don't give a shit about the rules. I'm gonna do what I want to do, and don't you dare stand in my way," she shot him and angry glance. The mascot sighed.

"You know why the rules have been created. It is dangerous! Why can't you understand and respect that? And why do you want to be human again so badly? Don't you like the life in here? It's much better than down there!"

She was silent for a while. "No, it's not. You won't understand."

"Maybe I won't, but I won't also sit here and watch you violate the regulations."

"And what do you want to do?" she asked sarcastically. "Turn me in?"

He ignored the question. Rukia sighed and sat on the bed, crossing her arms as well.

"Why can't anyone understand me?" she complained under her breath.

They heard a knock on the door.

"Rukia?" a tired voice asked.

"He's been here a couple of times when you were gone," said Kon, when Rukia got up to let Renji in. When she opened the door, he seemed to be actually surprised to catch her in. He must've thought she was still away, but decided to check just in case.

"You're back."

"Yeah." Obviously, he knew where she had been.

His gaze was kinda sad, as if he knew perfectly he was unable to talk her out of what she was doing. "You were in when I came the first time."

"I don't know what you are talking about," she decided to play dumb.

"…if you want it that way…"

"Listen, Renji," it hurt her to see him like that. Why did he have to look like a beaten dog? "What I do and where I go is my decision. Don't try to change it."

"You're putting yourself in danger. Do you think I don't care?"

"Look, if you came here just to tell me this stuff…"

"I came to tell you that your brother wants to see you. Now."

Rukia blinked. "Byakuya-nii-sama?"

"You better hurry."

"O…ok," she definitely didn't expect that. "So…I'm going now." She walked past Renji, but then stopped and turned around. "Hey… I'm sorry to make you worry. I know you have my best interests at heart, but I can't stop it. And I don't want to. So please, don't blame me and don't worry, I'll be fine."

With this, she left them. Renji clenched his fists, pursed his lips and with all his strenght kicked the doorframe.

"She's hopeless."

* * *

**A/N: **Please review and be patient to wait for the third chapter ;)


	3. Inconveniences

**A/N:** I'm sorry it took me so long. I should've known better than to fool around rather than writing fiction, but here comes the third chapter. Hope you enjo it :)

Disclaimer: Don't own "Bleach." But I still like Orihime and hate Senna from the "Memories of Nobody" movie which I saw yesterday. Man, it sucked.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Inconveniences**

Ichigo was walking down the castle corridors, heading to the princess' rooms. As he rounded a corner, he almost bumped into Ishida.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he tried to pass him, but the scientist grabbed his arm and looked at him fiercely.

"It's all right. I just hope that you're not gonna be so much in the way when it comes to my research."

Ichigo broke free from his grip and eyed him angrily.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's supposed to mean that it is my job to investigate the case and your job is solely that of a guardian. So don't mess with my work."

"I don't mess with your work, I'm just doing mine. You might want to ask the king about the range of my duties."

He didn't know that Ishida had already spoken to the king, so he was surprised to see the guy bit his lower lip in frustration.

"You just mind your place, Kurosaki," he snapped. "People of your class are not cut out to do any successful research."

"Are you picking a fight with me?!"

"By no means. We scientists don't solve our problems by fighting each other," he said proudly and left fuming Ichigo in the middle of the corridor.

"I swear I'm gonna get him and rip that attitude out of his damn throat!" Kurosaki cursed under his breath as he tried to calm down. Orihime really didn't need to see him in that state.

But that guy…oh!

* * *

"_You don't fit there anyway."_

Rukia was walking back from her brother's room. They had just had a nice talk about why she should never go to the human world again.

Rukia found it really strange that everyone in Soul Society thought it to be a far better place that the living world. When she expressed her opposite opinion, she would instantly be flooded by every single reason to prove her wrong. Well ok, in Soul Society you could live eternally, you had many friends and didn't have to worry you'd outlive them. You had so much free time, so you could do whatever you wanted. But what Rukia missed could not be found in there. She missed…simple life. And humans. And the life there.

She died as a very young woman, so she never actually got the chance to live fully. Ever since her death she wanted to go back so desperately. But that wish was a hard one to be granted.

However, maybe _she_ could…

"I don't care," Rukia whispered under her breath. "I'm going there and no one will stop me."

She made sure that her mascot was nowhere in sight, then she silently locked the door. One jump from the windowsill and she was already in the other world.

She landed on the sill of the castle corridor. She was just about to jump onto the floor when she heard footsteps. Forgetting that not everyone could see her, she rapidly motioned backwards, sticking out only her head to see who that was. Much to her surprise, she saw that orange-haired guy whom she had seen with Orihime before. What was more, he seemed to be headed in the same direction as Rukia herself – to the princess' chamber.

Rukia silently slipped outside the window and walking carefully, pressed against the outer wall, followed him to Orihime.

* * *

"And then he simply walked past me!"

Unfortunately, Ichigo didn't manage to calm down after his little encounter with Ishida. He had to get all of his frustration out and the poor princess happened to be the one to take it all.

"I'm sure he wasn't just being spiteful," she said with an embarrassed smile.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Well, as far he had been the only one in charge of this…this all, so maybe he just got a little jealous of you, Kurosaki-san, but…"

"Yeah, yeah," he waved his hand. "I know, you've told me that already."

As they were talking about Ishida's behavior, someone was silently watching them from outside the window.

_I'm not giving up today_, Rukia promised to herself. _I'm gonna talk to her no matter what._

Her eyes landed on the orange-haired man. The princess' childhood friend…

Handsome…

Suddenly, she got curious what that was that they were talking about. What investigation? Who was the Ishida guy and what was he actually doing? Could it be that the princess had already slipped a word to her father?

_Shit_, she cursed mentally. _This is going to be tough._

Her suspicions got confirmed when the orange-haired guy asked:

"So, what about those visions? Have you seen anything strange lately?"

"Well, actually no," conceded the princess. "It's been a good few days since something appeared."

Rukia's shoulders dropped. _Something_?

"So it's ok," Ichigo smiled at his friend. "I'm glad they left you alone, Orihime-sama."

"Maybe not for too long."

"Maybe forever," he almost grinned. Almost, because a genuine grin somehow did not fit his face.

"Maybe," the girl returned his smile sweetly. Suddenly her happy expression fell. "Oh, and I'm so sorry."

"About what?" he was surprised. "Is it about Ishida? You know, it's not your fault he's so…"

But he got cut off halfway through.

"About the cookies," he heard her whisper. His mind stopped for a few second, unable to process the random comment.

"What cookies?" he asked tentatively. Did the ghosts affect her mind or something?

"I promised you that next time you come, I'll treat you to biscuits," she looked up at him.

His jaw dropped in realization, and then he put on a mocking face. "Oh no, how could this happen? I guess I'll have to come once more! And if there are no cookies again, I'll have to come over and over again. You will be forced to put up with my presence so much longer!"

"I really don't think I'll be able to endure this," she wondered, encouraged by his happy-go-lucky reaction. "I'll have to get the biscuits as quickly as possible."

"You sure will."

"Next time you come, Kurosaki-san, they'll be here."

"Keep your word, Orihime-sama."

This sounded like parting words. And soon enough Ichigo left the chamber, with the princess waving him goodbye until he disappeared behind a corner. Orihime closed the door and turned around just to face Rukia standing by the window.

"So, who was he?"

Orihime opened her mouth and took a step back, but recognized the girl so she didn't shout in fear. However, this didn't mean she wasn't frightened at all.

"Ru…Rukia-san…"

"Oh, sorry, forgot my manners. _Hello_," Rukia greeted her with a smile. Strangely enough for her, her own smile did not have the same effect on the princess as Ichigo's one. But she decided to overlook that one and continued her investigation.

"Are you gonna tell me? Who was this guy? A friend of yours?"

She hoped she didn't sound to persistent. Orihime slowly walked to her bed and sat on it, her eyes never leaving the strange guest.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. And yes, he's my friend."

Rukia jumped onto the bed as well, but didn't sit too close to the girl not to frighten her even more.

"How long have you known each other?" she asked casually.

"Since time immemorial."

"Oh, so you're childhood friends!" Rukia put on a sweet face and clapped her hands.

"Ye…yes." It seemed to work. Orihime looked a bit braver now.

"Is he a nobleman?"

"Yes."

"Oh! Are you two in love?"

Orihime mentally thanked God she had forgotten about the biscuits, because if she was eating one now she would surely gag to death.

"No! Absolutely not! We're just friends!"

It was getting dark outside, so Rukia missed the blush on the princess' cheeks.

"Okay, just asking," she flashed her another sweet smile. "But he's surely visiting you a lot."

Orihime fiddled with her sleeve. She realized Rukia probably suspected something, so it was best to admit everything.

"I told my father about our first meeting," she dropped her gaze, afraid of upsetting the guest. "Kurosaki-san is assigned as my guardian."

"Against me?" Rukia opened her eyes wider.

"I…I guess so."

"And will you tell him about our meeting today?"

Orihime met her gaze. "Will you be angry if I do?"

Rukia sighed. "No, I won't be angry… It's just that… It's best if people don't know about me, that's all."

"Why? You revealed yourself to me, so…"

"Well, that's different. Orihime-sama," Rukia looked her seriously in the eye. "Please promise me you won't turn me in."

"But…"

"Really, please."

The princess swallowed. "You won't hurt me?"

"I promise I won't," Rukia held out her fist with the little finger outstretched. Orihime hesitated a bit, but then entangled her own little finger with Rukia's one and shook it.

"I promise."

"Thank you," Rukia beamed at her. "So, will you tell me something more about Kurosaki-san?" she encouraged a conversation. "Could he see me just like you do?"

"Yes, probably."

_Good thing I hid from him earlier_, Rukia thought as she decided to spy on him a little more. He could be interesting…

Not wanting to reveal any of this to the princess, she asked: "So, can I also come for some cookies sometime?"

* * *

"Now this as surely and interesting talk."

Rukia landed softly in her room. She shook her head to get her hair out of her eyes; the wind outside ruined her hairstyle.

Then someone grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.

"Renji!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"And how the hell did you get into my room?!" she yelled back, not willing to argue over her trip. "I clearly remember locking the door!"

"You think that pathetic excuse for a lock could…"

"So you simply broke in to my room, right?"

"No, it's not like that…"

"You were sneaking around…"

"Rukia, listen to me!"

His voice was so stern that she finally stopped retorting.

"Listen, your brother made it clear that you must stay out of the other world. You know what such trips entail, now don't you?"

She was silent for a second. "I know."

"So why are you doing this? Why do you want to endanger both worlds? For a moment of fun?"

"It's not for fun!" she jerked her arm from his grip and walked past him. He followed her and supported himself on one arm resting against the wall beside her.

"Stop this nonsense, Rukia. Can't you be happy in here instead of chasing the impossible?"

"I can't, Renji," she dropped her gaze. "I…I just can't."

"Maybe there is something that can be done about it?"

She looked into his eyes, feeling guilty. He never worded it, but she already knew how he felt about her.

"I'm sorry, Renji. I…I'm so sorry."

He closed his eyes for a moment and gave an almost inaudible sigh.

"I won't turn you in to Kuchiki-taichou."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"But you will do it again." It was a resigned statement.

"Yes. I need to. I know it's selfish, but I have to do it. For myself."

* * *

**A/N:** Please leave a review. It always encourages me to write more if there is a nice review around :)

Oh yeah, and who hated the movie: hands up!! *raises both her hands in hateful rage* ]:-)


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